Smith: How will future be for our kids?

Posted: Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Loran

Smith

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After revealing in this space that we had lost our beloved cat Skippy, the reaction was a little overwhelming. Many people - including a lot of men, to my surprise - expressed regret. We even received sympathy cards.

It was a sentimental and comforting experience that made me conclude that if that many express sorrow when an animal dies, then there has to be a lot of good people in this world.

Not long after Skippy passed on, there came the news out of Dallas that Kilo, the beautiful, all-white cat belonging to our daughter-in-law, has cancer. It doesn't look good for Kilo. I learned the news from our 3-year-old grandson, Alex. "Kilo sick," he said. "Kilo very sick."

In all likelihood, Alex won't understand when the grim reaper calls for Kilo. It will be his first brush with death, and as I learned from sharing the news about Skippy, animal deaths noticeably affect people.

Kilo's debilitating circumstance and Alex's awareness of his health prompted a plethora of thoughts, mostly about Alex and life.

It will be some time before Alex fully comprehends the existence of death. What is predictable is that he won't initially understand when his friend is not around.

Alex likes to roughhouse with his dad and grandfathers. And his uncle Bruiser. He enjoys wrestling and rolling about with Kilo. One day he was playing with Kilo and I said, "Is Kilo your friend?"

Alex smiled and said, "I love Kilo. Kilo loves me."

I thought about the happiness and the bond that unites Alex and Kilo. But life is never permanent. Alex is not aware of that yet. Life's considerable day-to-day frustrations and challenges? Alex doesn't comprehend those either.

All he knows is that life is good. He has parents who are not just providers but best friends. He has Kilo to play with whenever he chooses. He decides when he wants to play with Kilo. Kilo is always ready when Alex is.

Life is not so orderly.

At preschool, Alex has a Hispanic friend, Xavier. There is no disharmony. Ten years from now, it might not be the same. Will Alex develop a personality trait that brings him in conflict with Xavier? Will it be the same for Xavier?

More importantly, will we in the next decade solve problems for Alex and Xavier that are more pressing that we like to admit? The residences of New Orleans, along with government officials, were warned what would happen if the Crescent City took a direct hurricane hit. Now they are aware that reality is not a pretty thing.

We move right along without worrying about global warming, the environment, the high cost of the war in Iraq and worry more about a condo at the beach than the kids the ages of Alex and Xavier who will, in a few years, expect the good life to continue.

Global warming, according to TIME Magazine, is upon us, its cover headline recently suggesting we should be " ... very worried."

We elect politicians to go to Washington to solve problems like global warming and management of nuclear waste among other pressing issues. When are they going to get around to it?

Kilo's impending demise and my curiosity of how Alex will emotionally react to the departure of his friend made me think of questions about the future. Mostly, what are we going to do for our kids and grandkids?

"Kilo very sick!"

Unfortunately, so is our apathetic and sedentary society -blinded and setting our grandkids up to be blindsided.